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26 SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY - MANIFESTO 2015 But there is much more we can achieve and SNP MPs in the House of Commons will work with SNP ministers in the Scottish Government to ensure that we continue to make progress as a society and economy, across all three of the Scottish Government’s priority areas: Creating more, better paid jobs in a strong, sustainable economy Our ambition is for a stronger Scottish economy, with the fruits of economic success shared more widely. We have set out our plans to deliver higher levels of sustainable economic growth through the Scottish Government’s refreshed Economic Strategy. This includes proposals to boost Scotland’s competitiveness, reduce levels of inequality and increase productivity. Our aim is to match the productivity levels of the most successful economies in Europe. We also want Scotland to be in the top quarter of OECD countries in terms of wellbeing, sustainability and equality. This includes narrowing the economic gap between the different regions of Scotland. We are focused on four key themes – Investment, Innovation, Inclusive Growth and Internationalisation. We know that building a high-skill, connected Scotland is essential if we are to maximise our nation’s economic potential. That is why we are investing in our people, infrastructure and assets, for example, by working to widen access to higher education. New skills provide a route into rewarding, fulfilling employment. Our approach will see 30,000 new Modern Apprenticeship opportunities every year by 2020, having already exceeded our current target of 25,000 per year. Our aim is to reduce youth unemployment by 40 percent by 2021. We believe that the more we can integrate skills and employment policy, with an extension of powers for the Scottish Parliament, the more we can achieve for people joining the jobs market. That includes the prompt devolution of the Work Programme and Work Choice. We will also keep university education in Scotland free and have increased the minimum income for our poorest students to £7,500 this year. We are also investing to support Scotland’s job creators. Through initiatives like the Scottish Business Development Bank we want to find ways of improving access to finance for growing businesses and we will use the influence we have at Westminster to secure additional funds so we can further increase support for Scottish companies. We are determined to maintain Scotland's position as the best place to do business in the UK with a package of business rates relief worth an estimated £594 million for 2014-15 and £618 million for 2015-16 – supporting around 100,000 businesses across the country. And we will continue to maximise investment in our nation’s infrastructure, using both capital spending, new borrowing powers and a range of innovative finance mechanisms. In government, we have adopted an ‘all-Scotland’ approach, with key infrastructure projects across the country to ensure the fruits of economic opportunity are shared as widely as possible.
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY - MANIFESTO 2015 27 Projects include the A9, Aberdeen to Inverness rail line, the Aberdeen by-pass, the Borders Railway, the completion of the Glasgow-Edinburgh rail improvements and the Dundee Waterfront project. In addition, we are supporting our construction sector by providing £30 million of ring-fenced support for smaller developers within the Help to Buy Scotland scheme. We will also invest £70 million over the next year in the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme to help first-time buyers, with low or moderate incomes, on to the property ladder. Our aim is to foster a culture of Innovation. In government that means establishing a new Ministerialled Innovation Forum and supporting the network of Innovation Centres, so that we can ensure effective knowledge and innovation transfer from our academic research base into the wider business community. This approach includes a £1 million Innovation Challenge Fund to help address major societal and industrial challenges. We are supporting international collaboration by piloting Innovation and Investment Hubs at key global locations and are also promoting innovation in, and through, the public sector as a means of getting the most out of public expenditure across the economy. We recognise and applaud the vital part played by our universities in creating world-leading research, including in areas of cutting-edge science and technology, and boosting both Scotland’s international profile and innovation base. We will continue to work closely with our universities to maintain their position of global excellence. Supporting Scottish business We have been working hard to help Scottish business succeed, including: • Delivering the most competitive business tax environment anywhere in the UK through our business rates policies, and the package of business rates reliefs worth an estimated £618 million in 2015-16. • Maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme which removes or reduces rates for almost 100,000 businesses. • We’re helping business get access to finance through the Scottish Loan Fund and the Scottish Investment Bank and we are providing advisory support through Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Business Gateway to help companies improve their chances of securing funding. • Promoting a culture of entrepreneurial ambition and innovation in Scotland by supporting ambitious collaborations between universities, businesses and others to capitalise on Scotland’s world-class research including through a network of eight Innovation Centres. • And, we’re working to encourage more Scottish companies to become active exporters with Scottish Development International working with partners to support up to 10,000 more businesses develop the skills to go international.
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